MOTM

> I must confess I am a bit disappointed with the responses to this.   I
> thought many of the people who are into modular synthesis would have a
> parallel interest in home recording as well. 

Well, of course. (As evidence, I just released my first CD.) But I 
think that feasibility is a factor here. Consider how much hand 
assembly it would take to build a mixer of, say, 16 or more channels. 
One simple mixer channel is roughly as complex as a more-complicated 
MOTM synth module. Personally I'd find it pretty boring to build 16 of 
the same module. (No offense meant to those of you who have built lots 
of the same module--maybe I just have a short attention span.)

Another problem: it wouldn't be cost-effective. Mixers generally rely 
on custom-made controls (knobs, buttons, faders) to make everything fit 
together well. Paul has already mentioned on this list how expensive 
custom-made knobs are for companies of the scale of his.

Consider the Mackie 8-bus (analog version) as a reasonable benchmark of 
a good home-recording mixing console. (Yes, we can sit here and argue 
about the quality of its EQ and pre-amps, but can we agree that it's 
reasonably good? I mean, hey, Sarah McLachlan's albums sound good 
enough to my ears, and she mixes on Mackies. So does KMFDM, for a 
rather different example.) The 32-channel model has a street price of 
about $3000 or less. That's less than $100 per channel, never mind the 
eight busses, the two headphone pre-amps, the numerous monitor 
controls, the six send/return busses, etc. I can't imagine that  Paul 
could sell mixer kits for $100/channel that would compete with the 
Mackie--there are just too many parts. (I'll run downstairs and 
count... Per channel, the Mackie has 17 pushbuttons, 15 rotary pots, 
one long-throw fader, five jacks, and I haven't even gotten to the 
electronics yet. Oh, and consider the power supply, which is a 2U 
rackmount monstrosity.) This is not at all to disparage Paul's design 
talents--I'm sure that he could design a killer mixer channel. But from 
the perspective of a home-recording musician with (presumably) a finite 
budget, economies of scale dictate that the production of mixers is 
better left to larger companies.

Now, if you're talking about higher-end mixers than Mackie, then it 
seems to me you're talking about two different things. In my mind home 
recording and high-end consoles are mutually exclusive, because of 
budgetary and space constraints. I once knew a guy who had a 24-channel 
Trident console in his living room, but I submit that this sort of 
behavior is unusual. :-) Paul is very conscious about the pricing of 
his modules. Again I don't see how he could sell mixer channels at 
prices that would be attractive to enough people to make the investment 
of R&D worth it.

However, mic pres, EQs, compressors, etc. are a different story.

--Adam

Adam Schabtach
adam@studionebula.com
www.studionebula.com